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n A. BASH.

Railroad Switch-Stands.

N0. l4. 2,725. PatentedSeptem'brQ,1873.

Witnesses At! orneys.

OFFIon.

ROBERT A. BASH, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO TAPPEY, LUMSDEN & (10., OF SAME PLACE.

EMPRGVEEWENT IN RAILRQAD-SWITCH STANDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,725, dated September 9, 1873 application filed March 21, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT A. BASH, of

Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and in the State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Switch; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a railroadswitch stand and look, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which Figures 1 and 2 are side views, partly in section, of my invention, and Fig. 3 is an interior view of the look.

A represents a hollow stand, of any suitable dimensions, provided on its upper end with a cylindrical casing, B, within which is placed a solid cylinder, G. This cylinder is, at its upper end, formed or provided with a cap, D, which extends out over and beyond the top edge of the casing B. Through the cylinder 0 passes a vertical shaft, E, to which the cylinder is firmly secured, and the lower end of the shaft is provided with a crank, a, and rests in the inner end of a foot-lever or treadle, G. The crank a is, by a rod or bar, I), connected with the switch to be operated upon. From the side of the cylinder 0, at the upper end, project one or more lugs, 61, which fit in corresponding notches or recesses in the upper edge of the case B. These lugs and notches are so arranged that they will fit together when the shaft is turned to close the switch, and the shaft cannot be turned to open the switch without firstpressing down the foot-lever or treadle G, which raises the cylinder C until the lugs d d are elevated above theirnotches. Then the cylinder can be turned,

by means of the crank-lever H, to open the switch, and as soon as the switch is closed again, the cylinder drops down again with the lugs in the notches. On the side of the casing B is secured a look, I, so arranged that the lockbolt f will enter the casing radially and pass into a small recess made in the cylinder 0, when the switch is closed. The lock is further so arranged that the key cannot be withdrawn except when the bolt has entered the recess in the cylinder and locked the same, so that it cannot be raised by the treadle G. Along the upper edge of the look I is hinged a guard, J, which falls down and protects the key-hole when the key is withdrawn.

The advantages of this device are principally as follows: The lock cannot act nor its bolt lock the cylinder until said cylinder has, in connection with the crank-lever, been turned so as to replace the rail in line with the main track. The switchman cannot withdraw the key from the look before he has replaced the rail in proper position. The movement of the cylinder and lock cannot be obstructed by snow or ice, being protected by the cap D and guard J.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the cylinder (J, revolving within the case B, and the bolt f of the lock I, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The combination of the stand A, casing B, cylinder (3 with cap D, crank shatt E, treadle G, and lock I, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of March, 1873.

R. A. RASH.

Witnesses:

A. N. MARR, O. L. Evnn'r. 

